(KRON) -- The future of capital punishment in California remains a central point of debate as gubernatorial candidates present contrasting visions for the state's execution moratorium.
Gov. Gavin Newsom established a stay on executions through a March 2019 executive order shortly after taking office.
Newsom's order also mandated the immediate shutdown of the execution facility at San Quentin Prison, following a 2016 ballot initiative in which California voters rejected a proposal to end capital punishment.
Should any future governor decide to terminate the moratorium, the state currently lacks a functional location to carry out executions because the San Quentin death chamber has been dismantled.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 564 prisoners are presently on death row. The majority of these inmates have been transferred from San Quentin Prison to alternative correctional facilities. While the governor can commute death sentences, many such actions require confirmation from the California Supreme Court.
“I would hope that the next governor will lift the moratorium and proceed with respecting the people and enforcing the law,” said Kent Scheidegger with the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation. “There are some crimes for which anything less is just inadequate punishment. Plus, we know from experience in California that life without parole does not really mean life without parole.”
Opponents of capital punishment are pushing for a permanent end to executions in the state.
“Our hope is that the next governor would continue the reprieve in place and give the people of the state of California a chance to decide this isn't worth it. We need to get rid of it,” said Robert Sanger, an attorney representing Death Penalty Focus. “We'd like to see the death penalty off the table in California. Period. It's expensive. It's ridiculous. It's vindictive. It's applied in a racially unjust fashion.”
Political candidates seeking the governorship have taken clear positions on how they would handle the issue. Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra indicated he intends to maintain the moratorium. Republican candidate Steve Hilton stated that despite his personal opposition to the death penalty, he would revoke the moratorium because it contradicts the 2016 vote.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.
